The Fear
by Ripplecloud
Summary: Avaron is haunted by something known only as the Fear. Every night, it visits her with a new horror. When it starts to go too far, someone always saves her. Funny how this guardian bears such a strong resemblance to a certain host...
1. A Little Girl

_Stroke. Stroke. Stroke. Stroke._

The only sounds that could be heard was the soft gurgle of the creek and the gentle splashes my movements made as I lazily swam around in the calmer water of the pool I was in. The gentle swirl made by the current tickled my legs every time I stood to look about me. My friend Sayuri had been with me for a while, but then her boyfriend called and she ditched me. So I was left to spend the rest of my afternoon swimming by myself.

Not that that was a problem. Even when I could separate Sayuri from Michi, he was all she ever talked about. It had been getting kind of annoying, to tell the truth. I don't know why she was so obsessive over him, but I had a feeling that would come and bite her in the butt. I certainly didn't like him – it seemed to me he was only after her for her looks.

Thinking about this sent a fleeting pang of jealousy through my stomach. Sayuri was really pretty, with fair skin, brown hair, and the prettiest sky blue eyes. An hourglass figure and a slight accent brought her a lot of attention from the male population. I, on the other hand, tended to stand in her shadow with my rather more athletic figure and far smaller…_attractions._

But looking at the kinds of guys she had trailing after her, I'd much rather prefer my body. I didn't get the kind of fake "sweet" boys or the stereotypical bad boys going for me. Instead, I didn't have any guys – but who's complaining? I have the rest of my life to find the right-

A quiet sob drew me out of my thoughts. I stood up, startled. Wasn't I alone? I'd certainly thought I was…but then the sob came again. I swiveled my head to the storm drain that emptied into the stream a few meters downriver. A flash of movement urged me to go investigate. I clambered out, dripping, and walked over. Peering inside, I was met with the shadowy form of a little girl. She had her knees tucked up to her chest, rumpling her stained, torn dress.

"Hey…" I started as she sniffled. "Don't cry…what's wrong?"

The little girl lifted her head, wiping her running nose. "Go away," she said. I was a bit taken aback by the firmness in her voice. "Go away," she repeated.

I crawled into the drain a bit. "I can help you find your mom," I offered, assuming she was lost. Reaching out a hand, I placed it on her muddy shoulder.

A shock like a bolt of lightning coursed through my body, making my hair stand on end. My eyes were assaulted with images of the little girl walking along the stream bank with a little boy. Rain fell in fat drops from the sky. She jumped in the water, quickly followed by him, and they splashed around. I saw as the little girl pointed to the drain, saying something. The boy nodded, and they swam over.

._..Molly…_ a voice in my head told me her name. Molly poked her head inside it, looking back to the boy. He made encouraging motions with his hands. She smiled, clambering all the way in. She crawled a few meters in when the boy let out a sudden cry of alarm. Molly turned to see water gushing into the pipe. A flash flood!

Trapped, with no way out, Molly drowned. I saw her clawing at her throat, lungs begging for the air they would not get. Then I saw her go limp as a doll.

The electrifying feeling stopped, and I staggered back, ears ringing. I wanted to cry. I wanted to throw up. And that little girl, Molly, was sitting in front of me, anger written across her face.

"I told you to go away," she said. "You did not listen."

Then I saw something that chilled me to the bone. The dead girl's mouth twisted upwards in a tight-lipped grin and she giggled. "Now you'll never be rid of me."

I turned tail and got out of there as fast as I could. I splashed through the shallows, pausing by the pool to grab my clothes. My heart pounded in my chest like a drum, louder then I'd ever heard it before.

Something grabbed my leg, yanking me into the pool. I tried to scream, but it was cut short as water rushed into my mouth. I immediately stopped, trying to save my oxygen as I struggled against the thing wrapped around my ankle. It kept pulling me down, deeper, until I was up to my hips in mud. Pain lanced up and down my back as my left shoulder began to burn, as if someone had stuck a searing hot brand on the skin. Stars danced in my vision and I began to lose consciousness.

Suddenly, it let go. I burst to the surface, taking big gulps of air as I tried to calm my racing heart. I grabbed my stuff, sprinting for home, not caring that I was only dressed in my bathing suit. There was no way I was staying a moment longer.

Yet I could hear that giggle inside my mind, cold and merciless.

"_You're mine now…"_

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><p><strong>AN: ****So what do you think so far? Yeah, I know that all yer favorite characters haven't shown up yet, but you're gonna have to just sit tight, aiight? Comprende? Good.  
><strong>

**But anywho, please please please please PLEASE review! Critiques, compliments, flames, I don't care!  
><strong>


	2. First Encounter

**A/N: Good golly gosh...no reviews? This makes for a very sad Ripple...well, at least y'all got to see two hosts this chapter, even if there was no interaction. Sawwy. :T**

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><p>I burst through the door of my house, bolting up the stairs before my mom could even say hi. Down the hall and to the left was my bedroom, and I shut the door, locked it, and dove under the covers. Only then did I start to calm down.<p>

Imagining things…that's what I was doing. My mind had been playing tricks on me. There was no other explanation. After all, ghosts weren't real….were they?

But what if she wasn't a ghost after all? What if she was something else…something more sinister. If so, I knew that I wouldn't be able to run from her. She'd find me here.

I knew there was only one way to check to see if I had imagined the whole thing, whether it had been an illusion. Pulling off my top, I twisted in front of my mirror to see my back. In dark blue letters was a single word etched onto my left shoulder, just next to the spine.

FEAR.

I sat back on my heels, wondering why it was there and what exactly it meant for me. That's when things got even freakier. I heard a quiet, soothing voice from inside my head.

_The Fear….is an Emotion…she has chosen a victim…to inflict her Emotion on…for life…_

Unintentionally, I shuddered. Victim? Inflict her emotion? Crap.

Crap. Crap. Crap.

That meant that Molly – The Fear – would do her best to make me as afraid as possible. For life. Not sure how often I'd see her, but…hopefully not very often.

_May the Lord grant you a quick end…_ the voice whispered, barely audible.

I went back to my bed, pulling on a nightgown and curling up into a ball around my body pillow. She hadn't even shown up again and I was already scared witless. I bit down on my arm to stifle my crying as tears ran down my face. No one could know – who would believe me? They'd most likely send me to an insane asylum.

So I sat there in wait, passing on dinner due to nerves, and gritted my teeth harder every minute as it went by. Eventually, I began to relax. She wouldn't come back…she didn't know where I lived…right?

The giggle.

OHHH CRAP.

I heard a giggle.

Nooooooononnonononono. This is not happening.

But there she was. Molly. Standing in the corner of my room holding a bloodstained butchers knife in her tiny hand. She was grinning from ear to ear, and I'm sure all the blood drained from my face. Was she going to stab me? Carve me up like a thanksgiving turkey?

No, apparently not.

She was doing something worse.

Raising a hand, she pointed a finger at me and giggled again.

I began sinking. Into my mattress.

OH MY GOD I WAS SINKING INTO MY MATTRESS.

I took one last panicked gulp of air before I disappeared into it. I stopped sinking, but I couldn't move a muscle. Pinned where I was, I could barely get any air. I tried screaming, but no one replied. Spots flickered across my vision, and I fought to remain conscious. I refused to die. No way José was a little dead girl killing me.

A blade poked through the stuffing, stopping barely a finger breadth away from my nose. My heart jumped up into my throat as it ripped the covering.

_RRRRRRRRIPPPP!_

A slender hand poked through the hole, slipping behind my head and pulling it free of the stuffing. I gasped, inhaling breath after beautiful breath. Glory hallelujah, someone saved me!

My vision slowly swam back into focus as I wriggled my way out of my bed. I was met with someone I was NOT expecting.

"Angels exist?" I whispered, reaching out a hesitant hand to touch the gorgeous face. Lightly tanned skin stretched over a beautiful face framed by long dark locks. Steely gray eyes gazed back at me as my rescuer gently entwined my fingers in his.

"Believe me, I'm no angel," he murmured, moving my hand back down to the bed.

"Who are you?" I asked, brow furrowed. I was still feeling lightheaded.

The mystery man leaned over, planting a gentle kiss on my forehead. "A friendly face," he whispered before fading into thin air. …What? How does someone fade into frickin' air?

I laid my head down on my pillow, staring at my ceiling. Was it going to be like this every night?

Rolling over, I bit the fluffy white cushion and screamed into it until my throat was raw and the tears disappeared from my eyes.

Well then, I might as well keep a journal, so I know whether or not there's going to be a pattern to her visits and…actions.

I pulled out a pale green notebook my Aunt had gotten me last Christmas. Untouched, luckily. I grabbed a pen from the jar on my desk, scrawling the date onto the first page.

_Sunday, 12 June 2011._

_Sunk into mattress, cut free by guardian angel._

I know, I write a lot. & Yeah, he said he wasn't an angel, but I honestly thought he was. I mean, the kindness, the rescuing, the fading into thin air…the gorgeous looks. It was all right there staring me in the face – he just needed wings and a halo. Am I right?

Returning to my bed, I plopped down and closed my eyes, falling slowly into a restless sleep.

When I awoke the next morning, the night's events seemed like just another nightmare – but when I looked in the mirror, the brand was there, standing out starkly in a deep blue against the tan of my skin.

Shuddering, I changed into my school uniform, grasping my satchel and an apple and walking out the door. Mom was usually up late working, so she slept in. Dad left for work already, so no one was awake at my house at the time. Hopping on my bike, I headed for Sayuri's house. Was I going to tell her? No. Would she distract my thoughts? Probably.

I kicked up my bike stand, leaving it on her front lawn. I had long since mastered the art of biking in a skirt, so I just smoothed it down before knocking on my friend's door.

"Avaron!" she smiled as she opened the door. "How was swimming yesterday?"

"It was great," I lied, "But I wish you could have stayed longer…"

Her smile changed to one of apology. "I would have, but…Michi wanted to take me to that new sushi restaurant…"

I returned a smile. A fake one, but a smile all the same. "It's fine. We'd better get going, or we're going to be late for school."

"About that…Michi's going to give me a ride on his motorcycle…Sorry." she bit her lip, tucking a strand of stray hair behind her ear.

"…Oh…well okay…" I quickly wiped the frown off my face. "That's fine – I hope you have fun."

We traded smiles and I turned, going back to my bike and hopping off. About halfway to school I had to stop biking – I couldn't see past the tears in my eyes. I felt sick. I stumbled a few steps, putting my hand out against a gate as I paused to calm my swirling thoughts.

I looked over, through the gate, into the grounds of the extensive Ouran Academy. Students hustled by, heading to classes and whatnot. These were the upper end of society, those with 'pedigrees' and family names. I had a few glances shot in my direction, but they were full of disdain. Right – I was a commoner. No more valuable than the dirt under their feet, and as numerous as the ants in a garden. I bit the inside of my lip. They might look twice if they knew what I'd been through in the past twenty four hours.

The glint of sun off glass caught my attention. I looked, and my jaw nearly dropped to my feet.

….It was him. My angel. But…he was wearing glasses, and an Ouran uniform.

The blonde student walking with him noticed me, gesturing. My guardian turned, and I locked my brown eyes with his gray ones. He tilted his head up a bit, causing a glare to hide them. His lips pressed tightly together as the blonde grabbed his arm, walking towards me.

I hopped back on my bike, getting out of there as fast as I could. I had no idea who the blonde boy was, but the black-haired one…he had to be my angel…he had to. They looked exactly alike.

No…that was preposterous. That boy was the heir to some cooperation or title. Still, the resemblance was uncanny.

What if…

I fought back and forth all day, at war with myself. I think everyone else could tell something was wrong, so they all backed off and gave me my space. Thank goodness for that.

Not even waiting for Sayuri to blow me off, I biked home – a different route. I didn't want to see that boy…whoever he was. Whatever he was.

Pulling out my books, I set to doing my homework.


	3. Angel

**A/N: Wow I disappeared for a while. .A. Sorry dude/chicka, I've been lazy/busy. Not a good combination. Oh, **Goodnight My Angel (c) Billy Joel, **and** Scars (c) Papa Roach

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><p>Homework took until dinner (which I had to make). I left the soup on the stove simmering. Not feeling too hungry myself, I decided to head to the nearby park for a run. My mind was all jumbled, and running usually helped clear it, so…<p>

Leaving a note on the table for my dad, I snatched a water bottle and ran out the door. The park was a few blocks down from my house, so I was running through the trees on the well-worn path in no time. It was there that I fell into an easygoing pace, not too hard, not to slow either. I breathed deeply, trying to clear my mind. My earbuds blasted Papa Roach into my turbulent mind.

_I tear my heart open, I sew myself shut  
>My weakness is that I care too much<br>And my scars remind me that the past is real  
>I tear my heart open just to feel<em>

_Drunk and I'm feeling down  
>And I just wanna be alone<br>I'm pissed cause you came around  
>Why don't you just go home<br>Cause you channel all your pain  
>And I can't help you fix yourself<br>You're making me insane  
>All I can say is<em>

A bust of static hit my ears, making me stop suddenly, clasping my hands around them. The sound went dead, and I looked at the screen of my i-pod. It still looked like it was playing the song, but I wasn't getting any audio.

I froze when I heard the next sound come through the earbuds. Softly at first, then growing in volume, came a high-pitched giggle. The same cold, cruel giggle as yesterday.

"Don't move," Molly whispered, giggling again.

I tore my headphones from my ears, throwing the i-pod on the ground and sprinting off the path into the trees. Adrenaline pumped through my system as terror coursed through my veins. The giggle grew faint, and I turned to look over my shoulder to see if anything was following me. As I did so, I ran full-tilt into someone.

"I- I'm so sorry!" I apologized, climbing to my feet and bracing myself against a tree with one hand. The guy I had run into turned, and I locked eyes with him. What I saw made my mouth go dry. His eyes were pure black with glowing gold irises. I tried to turn and run, but the bark of the tree I was leaning against suddenly liquefied, running over my hand and trapping it there. I placed my free hand on my wrist, trying to pry it free, but to no avail. My second hand became trapped as well.

"My, my, my…what do we have here?" He asked, smiling grimly at me. He took a step forward, one long, slender finger tracing my jawline and tilting my head so he could look at me. I twisted my face away from him, redoubling my efforts.

"A mortal, I see…" he mused. "A Touched one, too, to be able to see me…who got you, might I ask?"

There was a flicker of steel and the sound of ripping fabric as I felt him cut through the back of my shirt, exposing the brand on my shoulder. He recoiled instantaneously.

"Molly," he muttered to himself.

As if on cue, the harsh giggle permeated the air and the little girl stepped out from behind the tree which I was connected to.

"Hello Taka," she greeted, a broad smile plastered on her thin lips.

"Molly, a pleasure," the young man responded edgily, eyeing her warily.

"I see you've met my new victim," she continued, eyes glinting.

He nodded, as if unsure of what she wanted. "What happened to Yoshio?"

Her eyes hardened. "The bastard jumped in front of a car when I wasn't paying attention. But trust me, I'll be keeping a much closer eye on this one." She softened again. "I have a present for you Taka-chan!" Molly squealed like a five-year-old giving a gift.

Taka raised an eyebrow, saying nothing.

"This is Avaron. She's not very good at following orders. Teach her some manners for me, would you? Like you did Yoshio!"

He smiled at her, and another wave of fear engulfed my mind. "Your wish is my command, Fear," he said, bowing to her. She giggled once more and disappeared.

"How lucky I was to be taking a walk today…" he murmured, half to himself. He raised one hand, and I yelped as my hands shot upwards, forcing me to face the tree standing straight up. He wrapped his hands around my waist. "You know, you really should listen to her. It makes things a whole lot easier." He laughed, placing a kiss on my shoulder. My heart was racing, and I was already trembling from terror.

One of his hands pressed against my hips, pushing them into his. The other started to rub my stomach, slowly inching upwards under my ripped shirt. His lips moved to my neck, which he sucked lightly. My mouth was completely dry and I could feel my heart pounding hard enough to break my ribs. The hand on my hips moved to my thigh, creeping up under my running shorts.

Then there was a flash, and Taka was gone.

I turned my head to see the young man laying on the ground half-crumpled, a scorch mark stretching from his shoulder to the top of his head.

A strong pair of hands ripped me away from the tree and picked me up bridal-style. Instinctively, I wrapped my arms around him. Looking up, I recognized the face of my angel.

He took off without a word, crossing the terrain to my home three times faster than I could've. He leapt to the roof outside my window, mumbling something to himself before walking right through the glass somehow.

Setting me down on my bed, he went to my dresser and pulled a t-shirt off the top, tossing it to me.

"I won't look," was all he said as he turned away. I hesitated for a second before taking off my torn shirt and replacing it with the clean one.

"Th-thanks," I mumbled.

He knelt next to me, gently lifting my chin to look me square in the eye. "Are you okay?" he asked.

I took one look at the concern in his eyes – and burst into tears.

He sat next to me, pulling me onto his lap and holding me close. I placed my face against his chest and cried silently. I cried harder than I think I ever had before in my entire life. He crooned reassuring statements to me, stroking my hair and hugging me tighter. When no more tears would fall, I collapsed on the bed. He got up, moving to leave.

"Wait."

He stopped, turning to look questioningly at me.

"Can…can you stay with me?" I asked, not wanting him to go. Not wanting to be alone.

He smiled softly at me. "I suppose, but just for tonight."

Angel laid down next to me, my back to his chest as he held me close.

"Who are you….really?" I asked. "What are you?"

"I don't think you're ready for the answer you want." After a few minutes of silence, he began to sing in a quiet voice.

"_Goodnight my angel, time to close your eyes  
>And save these questions for another day<br>I think I know what you've been asking me  
>I think you know what I've been trying to say<br>I promised I would never leave you  
>Then you should always know<br>Wherever you may go, no matter where you are  
>I never will be far away…"<em>

I did not hear how the rest of the song went, for I fell asleep in his arms that night.


	4. Crash

_Monday, 13 June 2011_

_Met Taka, who was ordered by Fear to "teach" me some "manners". He touched me, and there was a flash. My angel saved me again._

I shut the journal, slipping it into my satchel. I'd woken up early to find that Tenshi (what I decided to name the guardian angel) had already left. So I thought I'd leave early for school. Completely forgetting about Sayuri, I biked my normal route, pausing at the gates of Ouran to peer in, looking for the bespectacled youth I'd glimpsed the day before. I was met with the views of a mass of lavender and yellow. My eyes scanned the faces, but I couldn't find him. Slightly disillusioned, I continued to school.

WHICH was where I met a rather pissed Sayuri in homeroom.

"What the hell Ava?" she exclaimed upon taking her seat next to me. "Why didn't you come by this morning? I had to call Michi for a ride!"

Yeah, like she wasn't going to do that in the first place.

"Sorry, I was in a rush and didn't think I'd make it in time," I lied, offering her an apologetic grin.

She didn't seem so convinced. "Yeah, well, don't let it happen again. Anyways, we have that physics test next Wednesday, I was thinking you could come over and spend the night at my place so we can study."

Again, I was skeptical. I was guessing we wouldn't get much studying done in the first place. She'd just talk and talk and I'd listen and make small comments here and there. But we're friends, so that's what I was there for.

Right?

So I nodded. "Sounds good, sounds good."

We settled into a comfortable silence as class started. The whole day went by in a kind of daze. When the bell finally rung to go home, Sayuri went to meet Michi at his locker and I headed to the bikes to go home. I stopped outside Ouran again, looking in at the swirling colors again. If I could just spot him…just once…

I needed to see his face. Make sure he was not Tenshi. Make sure I was not going crazy.

"Pardon me, Princess."

My head whipped around. I locked my gaze on that of the blonde from yesterday. His big blue-violet eyes looked at me curiously, and a faint smile danced upon his lips.

"I couldn't help but notice you staring at Kyoya yesterday. Do you know him?" the blonde inquired, taking a step closer to me. I mounted my bike, well aware this boy was far above me in the social ladder.

"N-no, sorry, I didn't mean to stare…He just…I thought I knew him, for a moment," I stammered.

The blonde smiled a genuine, broad, handsome smile at me. He opened his mouth as if to speak, but I cut him off.

"I'm sorry sir, I have to go." I started to move.

"Wait, princess!" I looked back for a second. There was a flash and the click of a camera. I booked it out of there, not looking back. When I got home, I rushed up to my room and flopped on my bed.

Ooookay.

Let's take things into account.

One: I can see ghost-things

Two: There's a terrorist little girl after me

Three: Some rich kid probably thinks I'm stalking his friend and now has a picture of me

It's official.

Life sucks.

I groaned into my pillow, slamming my palm onto the mattress. Thiiiis suuuucks.

Needless to say, I avoided Ouran for the next week, and for that week, things were pretty quiet. I wasn't visited by the Fear, and honestly thought it had just been a bad dream. Then came Tuesday. That morning, Sayuri rode her bike with me past Ouran, and I tried really hard to keep my gaze forwards as we did so. School went by pretty quickly, but the way back proved, for me, disastrous.

As we passed Ouran coming back, I hit a slick patch, probably oil, which made my bike slip, sending me toppling off it. Sayuri immediately stopped and dismounted, running over to check on me. I sat up, wincing slightly as I did so. My palms were scraped, and I'd twisted my ankle, but beyond that I felt fine. I told her so.

"Then stand up," she said skeptically, crossing her arms and raising one eyebrow.

I tried to do so, but as soon as I tried to put weight on my left ankle I yelped in pain. Yep, it was definitely twisted.

"That's not gonna work," she mused, sitting down next to me. "I'll call Mom, she can come pick us up. The bikes'll have to stay though."

I nodded, picking up my bike and hobbling over to chain it to the nearest tree. Sayuri did the same before walking off to call her mom.

I leaned my head back, closing my eyes as I sat with my back to the trees. I let out a sigh.

"Why so sad?"

I opened them again, startled, as a small blonde boy holding a big pink bunny sat down next to me. He looked like he belonged in middle school, but he was wearing a high school uniform.

"Where did you come from?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.

He smiled. I seriously wanted to adopt this kid, he was the cutest thing I'd ever seen. Like, picture a German Shepherd puppy and cross it with Mort from Madagascar and multiply it by six. He was frickin adorable.

"Oh I was just looking for someone to talk to while I waited for Takashi to get out of Kendo."

I smiled bleakly. "Well, you found me alright. I just had a bit of a bike accident and I can't ride it home. My friend Sayuri is over there calling for a ride." I gestured to her. She had her back to us but she seemed kind of annoyed about something. "Well, I hope we're getting a ride."

He grinned, holding out his bunny. "Would you like to hold Usa-chan? He can cheer you up!"

I took the rabbit, wanting so badly to hug this little kid. "Thank you," I said, hugging it before handing it back.

"No problem," he replied. "I'm Mitsukuni Haninozuka, but you can call me Hani."

"Avaron," I answered. "Avaron Sato."

He perked up at this, but before he could comment, a really tall, dark haired boy exited the gates, blazer tossed over one shoulder and dress shirt unbuttoned at the top. Not gonna lie, he was HOT.

"Mitsukuni, don't bother the young lady," he said quietly as he approached us.

"Takashi, Takashi! This is Avaron Sato, she's the girl Kyo-chan was researching!"

I froze. Researching? That was downright creepy. It also scared me. Why would a rich boy research me? I was a nobody. A commoner. AND I SWEAR I WASN'T DOING ANYTHING ILLEGAL.

"Ah." The tall boy, Takashi, certainly didn't say much.

Sayuri walked back over, flipping her cell shut. "Bad news, Ava, Mom can't give us a ride. She got swamped with work and won't be home anytime soon. I guess we've got walk back." She looked over at the two boys. "Do you know them?"

I hesitated, then nodded. "Somewhat. This is Mitsukuni Haninozuka, and this is Takashi…." I looked at him expectantly.

"Morinozuka." Dang, he really was a silent giant.

She nodded, tapping her phone to her lips thoughtfully. "Huh. I'm Sayuri." Turning to me, she continued. "Do you think you can walk if you lean on me?"

I nodded, standing and limping a few steps. "Come on, if we want to get back by sunset we'd best get moving." I raised my hand to the two boys. "Nice meeting you."

"Wait!" Cried Hani. "How far do you have to walk?"

I looked at Sayuri, who shrugged. "Umm…probably about three, four miles…?"

"You can't do that with a hurt ankle!" the little kid argued. "We can give you a ride home, can't we Takashi?" He looked to the taller boy.

"Mhm." Morinozuka nodded.

We looked at each other. "Well…we wouldn't want to impose…"

"It's our pleasure, ladies," Hani smiled, bowing. We returned the smile.

"If you insist."

Turns out they drive a limo. And have a chauffeur. Sayuri chatted with them for the short ride, and they dropped us off at her apartment with a comment on how "Haruhi lives near here". I didn't know who he/she was but I didn't really care.

We waved them off, and headed inside.


	5. The Coffin

My nerves couldn't have been more nervous that night. I had decided to spend the night with Sayuri. Her mom said she was ok with it, since I was injured. We called my mother and cleared it. Then Sayuri's mom made us miso soup.

We sipped at the hot broth as we poured over our mathematics homework. Well, as I poured over it and fought to keep her focused. She kept babbling about some relationship issue with Michi. I did not even bother to put up the pretense of caring, not that she noticed. Eventually, I think she got sick of hearing her own voice and suggested we go to bed.

I agreed, and rolled out my mat next to her bed. She always kept one around for surprise sleepovers, though they had become less frequent as we grew up. She lent me some pajamas, a rather short nightgown that I was not too thrilled about. Still, it was better than nothing. I curled up on my mat and she switched the light out.

Darkness closed over the two of us. It was a soft darkness, made so by the gentle glow of sticker stars on Sayuri's ceiling. She liked them a lot, and has trouble sleeping without them for some reason. They proved to offer me the same reassurance tonight. After all, Molly wouldn't attack with a witness, would she? I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath and exhaling slowly. No, she wouldn't. With that, I allowed myself to drift off into sleep.

Something brushed my face, bringing me up from the realms of blissful rest. My nose twitched and I groaned quietly.

"Wake up gorgeous..." someone whispered. I opened my eyes. Familiar black eyes with gold irises were staring back.

I lunged backwards, stifling a scream. I whacked my head on the side of Sayuri's bed and she shot up, flicking on the light.

"What the hell Ava!?" she cried, looking down at me. "What's wrong? You look like you've seen a ghost!"

I looked back to where Taka had been. Nothing was there. I took a deep breath to calm my racing heart before turning my eyes upwards to Sayuri. "Nothing, bad dream," I managed to say.

She rolled her eyes and laid back down. "You scared me half to death!"

"Sorry."

All I got was a grunt in response. She flipped the lights off again. I sat there, hearing only my beating heart, feeling only my shaking body. The darkness was no longer sharp. I saw the glint of a knife, a glimpse of Molly, in every shadow.

And then he was back. Taka stood over me, his face half-veiled in shadows.

"Come, my little songbird, no need to be afraid. Dear little Molly is not coming tonight," he crooned. "But don't worry, I'll take good care of you."

I opened my mouth to scream, but he dropped down and pressed one slender finger to my lips. "Don't make a sound. If you wake Sleeping Beauty, I will have to take her as well. And we don't want that, now do we?"

Immediately, my mouth clamped shut. I didn't want this creep to lay a hand on my friend. Screaming would do no good.

He saw my decision in my eyes. A deep, sinister chuckle emerged from his throat. "That's a good little girl."

One hand ghosted down my side and found a place in the crook of my knee. He brought it up as he shifted into a kneeling position. A single tear found its way out of my eyes.

Then a tapping came on the glass. We both looked at the window. Outside of it, Tenshi was desperately scrabbling, trying to force it open. His eyes were full of panic. I could see his mouth form my name, over and over again.

"That bastard, he's destroying my block…" Taka muttered before turning back to me. "I guess we'll have to move this elsewhere."

Before I could react, he bent over and firmly planted a kiss on my lips. The world around me began to spin, and I fought for my eyes to focus. Smaller and smaller the room seemed to get, tightening around me. The bed was gone, the stars were gone, even the mat beneath me was gone. I couldn't see. There was no light. My arms shot out, and I felt wooden boards on either side of me. A similar board pressed on my back. A curved wooden top rose a few feet from my face – but how I knew that, I cannot say. But on top of me lay Taka.

I could feel the heat from his body through my thin nightdress. I feverishly wished that I had asked Sayuri for a more modest one earlier. His hands found my hips, gently sliding the cloth upwards.

"This gown is a good look for you…edgy," he murmured. All I could see was the glow of his golden eyes.

Something possessed me, I swear. Though I was terrified out of my mind, I found myself spitting into his face. He recoiled, and I moved to scratch at whatever part of him I connected with. He laughed, grabbing my wrists and pinning them over my head.

"Feisty. I like it," he snickered. Leaning down his head, he nipped my neck hard, breaking through the skin. I felt blood begin to seep out. Simultaneously, my limbs grew heavy. He must have had some sort of paralysis venom on his lips or something, because in minutes I was immobile. He laughed again, removing his hands from my wrists and sliding my nightdress up over my hips. I tried as hard as I could to knee him in between the legs, but I was frozen. He kissed the other side of my neck, sliding his cold hand across my stomach again.

"Why don't you see the face of your lover, gorgeous?" he asked. An unearthly glow lit up from below us, illuminating his features. If I could have gasped, I would have. Long dark hair framed an almost feminine face. A face I recognized.

"How else would I have known where you were?" he asked, seeing my reaction in my eyes. He looked exactly like the boy with Hani. My heart nearly stopped in my chest.

A beeping noise broke out. He stopped, looking at a device on his wrist that was lighting up. "Fuck, now?" he groaned. "I must go. I will deal with you later."

And just like that, he disappeared, leaving me in the darkness of a coffin.


	6. Rescue

I lay there in the humid, cramped darkness, heart beating so loudly in my chest I feared it would deafen me. I had no idea what would come next. I prayed Taka would not return. Gradually, my paralysis wore off, though I was too exhausted to try to escape. Adrenaline gone, I slipped into an uneasy sleep plagued by nightmares of the handsome face and the wicked golden irises.

I was awakened by a scratching noise followed by a solid _thunk_ of something hitting the top of what I had determined to be a coffin. Jarred, I let out a scream.

"There's someone in there!" One muffled voice said.

"Is it a zombie?"

"No you idiot, call an ambulance!"

This short exchange, apparently over, was followed by more scrabbling. There was a clink and the coffin shifted. A shower of dirt rained down as the lid swung open.

Harsh morning light nearly blinded me. Blinking painfully, I could make out several heads. Two were red, two blonde. "Please, get away," I croaked, holding my arms in a shielding position.

"Hey, I know you!" One blonde boy said. He was the one who took my picture.

"That's Ava-chan!" Hani said in wonder, hugging his bunny to his chest as he looked at me in wonder. "How did you get to be in that box?"

I blinked again, my eyes fully adjusted now. I looked at the coffin. It was covered in runes of some sort, burned into the wood itself. "I…I don't know." Large, gentle hands grasp my arms and help me stand. My gaze once again looks up, this time to my helper, only to fall upon who I could only assume to be Taka.

Involuntarily, I let out a scream. I scraped his hands off my arms, scrambling back and tripping over the edge of the coffin. I land unceremoniously on the ground, pulling my nightgown down as far as I can. "Get the hell away from me!" I cry, backpedaling. I run into someone else. Turning, I see the face of my angel. "Save me!"

"From who, my friend?" he asks, his voice calm. "Silly girl, your brain must be addled."

Shocked, I take a step away from him. Ignoring the pain in my ankle, I take off through the woods.

"Princess, wait!" The blonde one cries out, pursuing. I can hear two more pairs of feet join the chase.

"Leave me alone!" I holler over my shoulder, my brain running five times faster than my bare feet. How could this be happening? Did Tenshi know Taka? Why would he try to save me the first time only to scoff at my panic later?

I tripped over a tree root in the woods, tumbling to the ground. My head struck the ground and I blacked out.


End file.
